General Articles

Type 2 Diabetes – Which Drugs Do You Think Affect Your Blood Sugar Levels?

The number of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has really skyrocketed over the past twenty years.  Add to that the number who are prediabetic and those walking around who have no idea they will be diagnosed in the years to come.  At least 50% remain undiagnosed!  Research shows one in four has a disturbance in how their body metabolizes sugar.

Whilst we are aware that genetics and obesity plays a big role in the rise of diabetes some drugs including prescripton drugs, can actually induce this condition in otherwise normal people.

Known offenders include:

steroids

birth control pill

diuretics

beta blockers

It is not unusual for impaired glucose tolerance to develop during the treatment of hypertension, and the condition does not go away when treatment is discontinued. Other drugs can either increase blood sugar levels or decrease them.  Leading offenders that diabetics should avoid include:

Drugs that lower blood-sugars:

Salicylates (Aspirin), and acetaminophen (paracetamol) or Panadol, can both lower your levels, especially if taken in large doses

Phenylbutazone (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory)

Ethanol (in alcoholic drinks) especially when taken without food

Sulfonamide antibiotics

Coumarin anticoagulant

Trimethoprim (used for urinary tract infections)

Drugs that increase your blood-sugars:

Caffeine in large quantities

Corticosteroids such as prednisone, are used to block autoimmune conditions.  Even when applied topically it increases your levels

Ephedrine

Estrogen when the dose is high, modern oral contraceptives are usually not a problem

Frusemide and thiazide diuretics often raise the glucose by causing a loss of potassium

Lithium

Nicotinic acid in large doses.  Used to lower cholesterol can bring out a hyperglycemic reaction

Phenytoin or Dilantin, a drug used for seizures, blocks insulin release

Rifampin (used in the treatment of tuberculosis)

Sugar containing medications

Thyroid hormone in elevated levels, raises blood glucose by reducing insulin from the pancreas

If you find a sudden change in your blood sugar levels and you have started a new medication, don’t hesitate to check with your health care provider.

Looking after yourself and your type 2 diabetes is your show, so know which drugs affect your blood sugars levels, find a diet that works for you, lose weight, and increase your physical activity.  You are the CEO of your body!…

Types of English Tea

English tea is very popular not only in the UK, but all over the world. Some of the blends that are well known in Great Britain originated elsewhere first, but have become known as British tea none the less. Many people do not think about how many types of teas that are English. They assume that only a few select flavors of tea are actually British. The truth is that there are actually five types of teas that are considered English teas.

Four of the five English style teas derive from the same leaves – Camellia sinensis. It is the process that will affect the outcome of the flavor of each type. The other type of tea is derived from berries, roots, seeds, and flowers.

Camellia Sinensis Derived Teas

There are four types of English tea that are derived from the Camellia sinensis plant – oolong, green, white, and black tea. Each one is made in a different process to give it the unique flavor that it is known for. Not only does each of these teas taste different, they are used for different reasons as well.

Green tea is used as an antioxidant and has many health benefits for regular drinkers. The leaves are processed by not allowing them to oxidize. They are also dried very fast as well. This gives the tea a grassy flavor and the health properties it has become famous for.

White tea is the one with the least amount of caffeine. It is made by the very young leaves of the plant. They are steamed and sun dried to give them a much smoother and sweeter taste than other types of tea. White teas have antibacterial and antiviral properties.

The Black English tea has a very robust flavor. It also contains a lot of caffeine compared to other blend types. The leaves are fermented to make them dark in color. This means that they are more oxidized than other English teas. This is most popular tea type due to the fact that it retains its flavor for years, unlike other teas, and so is great for trade and shipping.

The Herbal Tea

Herbal tea is other type of English tea that is made from the berries, flowers, roots, and stems of various plants. The flavor of tea will depend on what plant is used to make it, as well as what part of the plant it is derived from. Herbal teas are not derived from the Camellia sinensis plant at all.

There are many flavors of herbal tea. Some of them are infused with other varieties types as well to make a delicious blend. It is quite common to find a flavored green variety today. This allows for a variety in flavors but grants one the health benefits from the green tea. Herbal properties have also been introduced into some black and white teas too.

No matter which type you decide to go with, you will no doubt enjoy the many English teas that are available.…

5 Ways Herbal Teas Can Treat Or Reduce Anxiety And Help You Relax

Drinking herbal teas, especially ones like chamomile, and various herbal blends, is often seen as a powerful and effective way to relax. This article explores five ways in which herbal teas can help you to relax, making an effective, natural, and inexpensive treatment for anxiety

1. Medicinal Effects:

Herbs have various chemical components which act on the mind and body a lot like prescription drugs, but in a gentler, safer, and more balanced way. Many of the herbs commonly used as teas have been established scientifically to have relaxing or calming effects. The herbs with some science supporting their use for relaxing include chamomile, tulsi (holy basil), lemon balm, lavender, sage, passionflower, valerian, and kava. Many of these are common ingredients in herbal blends, especially those designed to promote relaxation.

2. Warmth:

Imagine curling up in a warm blanket with a hot cup of something. Even thinking of this sort of thing can help us relax. Warmth relaxes us, and this is not just due to our minds, it is due to the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which reduces the stress response. Drinking herbal teas can help relax us by warming us up.

3. Aroma:

Aromas can be very powerful. Think of how certain smells can bring back vivid memories, often evoking strong emotions associated with those memories. Some chemicals are even able to produce measurable effects on the mind and body even at levels so low that they cannot be consciously detected. Infusions of richly aromatic herbs have great potential to impact our mood through their smell. Many of the herbal blends people drink to relax have been chosen and blended specifically to have a calming or anxiety-reducing effect. This effect can be powerful and immediate, helping us to relax even before we take the first sip.

4. Mindfulness:

Mindfulness is a powerful way to combat anxiety and related problems like depression. The act of focusing on the here and now can help us to be happier and work effectively. Herbal teas can be a focal point for our mindfulness, as we pay attention to the taste and smell of the cup of tea we are drinking, and as we take time out of our day to enjoy our herbal tea, which leads into our final point:

5. Enjoyment:

People often approach anxiety and stress like it is a medical problem; while there is some merit to this approach, it is also true that at times, we just need to kick back and enjoy ourselves. If you want to drink herbal tea to relax and to help reduce your anxiety level, the best way to do so is to pick an herbal tea that you enjoy the most, and drink it because you like the way it tastes. Your enjoyment will help you to relax more as well!…

Know Where Your Cup of Tea Comes From

Tea lovers would appreciate every cup of tea more if they could learn that the finest tea come from the finest estate tea gardens all the world. Estate tea gardens are smaller pockets of gardens where the tea plant Camellia sinensis are grown. These estate tea gardens are usually found in areas where the climate is perfect for growing fine tea. These are usually in the colder parts of the world such as the hills of Sri Lanka, India, Japan, China, Taiwan, the Himalayas and the coast of Africa.

The tea plant will grow new buds and leaves, called flushes, every seven to ten days during the growing season. Only the bud and top two leaves or about the top 1-2 inches of the mature plant are leaves, leaf buds, and internodes of the Camellia sinensis are carefully handpicked and prepared on these estate tea gardens, to be ready for shipment to other countries around the world. The United Kingdom, Turkey and Ireland are the. three biggest tea drinkers of the world per capita. This beverage can be enjoyed hot or cold, and could give a calming and soothing feeling with every sip of tea.

In some parts of the world, serving a cup of tea is a token of hospitality. This beverage is widely embraced as part of many people’s daily meal. Research indicates that a cup of tea may aid in digestion and could give that relaxing feeling. Taken hot or cold, every cup of this beverage is good for all ages and would also bring some health benefits.

Tea may come in many different varieties, the most common of which are the yellow tea, green tea, black tea, oolong tea and the pu-erth. Pu-erth is known to have medicinal use, while the rest of the varieties are among the most common varieties which come from the same plant called Camelia sinensis.

The herbal tea variety would be a fusion of clowers, fruits, herbs, or other materials from plants which would not contain Camellia sinensis. Other variety called ‘red tea’ is a fusion of the black variety from Africa’s rooibos plant and would not have the Camellis Sinensis in it.

Tea is also known to give health benefits to those who are regular drinkers of this beverage. There are published medical studies which discuss the medical benefits of this beverage including aiding weight loss, reducing the risk of cancer, may have a beneficial effect on the complications of diabetes, may help prevent hypertension, among many other benefits.…

Diabetes Management and Team Approach

Diabetes management and team approach, when combined, go a long way in providing the best possible care for the patients. So when I read the latest news on the early team approach being the best medicine, I dove right into it. I am not a stranger to this concept as I have always used this in my practice.

Integrating a team of specialists including a diabetes educator, a dietitian, cardiologist, nephrologist and endocrinologist is the way to go to lower the risk of complications. It can also lower the cost for the health care system. So does an online survey of physicians found out.

About 44% of the physicians reported that 50% of their patients developed one of the complications including nerve pain, cardiovascular disease, stroke, limb amputation, blindness and kidney disease. They said that most patients are not aware of these complications, especially the kidney disease.

What is not realized is that most people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes already have some form of impairment in the kidney. In order for the patients to know of this complication is to require yearly testing for those at the earliest stage of type 2 diabetes including a microalbumin urine test.

Those on the latter stage of type 2 diabetes should have blood testing of the kidney function. Knowing the impairment can lead to interventions to prevent further damage to the kidney and other serious type 2 complications like heart disease.

The physicians revealed in the survey that patients do not adhere to lifestyle modifications as well as following the prescription. In this case, the intervention of nutritionist or dietitians can help patients get back on track. About 63% of the participants agreed the members of the team can help them.

The physicians surveyed, 93% of them in fact, believe that some are not using the team approach to prevent complications although 71% believe it can be done. Diabetes management and the team approach will reduce the burden on the health care system and the patients.

The goal of diabetes management is to achieve glycemic control through lifestyle modification, insulin or oral therapy. This requires monitoring and careful follow-up and support and so there is a need for a core group of professionals with different roles and functions.

This interdisciplinary team approach is not a new concept in the treatment of chronic illnesses but is relatively new to diabetes. There is a need for the diabetes care providers to view their roles and relationships with their patients and with the professionals in other disciplines.

Recognizing the diabetes treatment as complex led both the American Diabetes Association and the American Association of Diabetes Educators to endorse diabetes management and team approach as the ideal model for the delivery of diabetes care.

The diabetes treatment team includes, physicians, dietitians, nurses and behavioral scientists that have training in diabetes management. This team will look after the basic requirements of medication, nutrition, self-management and self-monitoring. This can extend to podiatrists, ophthalmologists, pharmacists, exercise physiologists and even maternal-child care and gerontology specialists depending on specific needs.

This diabetes care team will insure that standards of care are met. The diabetes care should be based on research and focused on the desired outcomes. The team members will support and encourage each other in promoting the care that is centered on the patients and directed to the goal of providing the best care possible. And this can better be accomplished with diabetes management and team approach.

Diabetes experts agree that it is important to control the blood sugar level. This require a better approach to the treatment. The multidisciplinary team approach to diabetes care is essential to meet this goal. This will result to fewer complications so we cannot delay this any longer. We must therefore adopt the diabetes management and team approach.…